Ladies and gentlemen . . . the moment I’ve been waiting for. Wait! Wait! Background information first! So for years I worked as a children’s librarian and I’d get girl after girl after girl coming up to my desk asking for funny books. I credit some of this to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The […]

I’ve done it again. Delayed my Fusenews too long and now this post is going to overflow with too much good stuff. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. Me stuff for the start. And in fact, there just so much Me Stuff today that I’m just going to cram it all into this little paragraph […]

Hokey dokey. Too much stuff here to cover very well, but try we shall. Hold on to your hats, folks! It’s gonna be a bumpy ride. First off, you know how I was talking the other day about constructing the ideal educator website of children’s literature resources? Well, this might have to be one […]

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a new collection of short stories by best-selling middle grade authors features photos of real children with cancer posing as warriors, mermaids, and all manner of fantastical heroes.

When two people sent me this link I assumed that everyone must have already seen it. But when it didn’t show up on PW Children’s Bookshelf I decided that perhaps I might have a scoop. At the very least, it appears that when people think Nick Cave meets Dr. Seuss, I’m the logical person to […]

“If kids like a picture book, they’re going to read it at least 50 times, and their parents are going to have to read it with them. Read anything that often, and even minor imperfections start to feel like gravel in the bed.” – Mark Haddon I’ve just returned from speaking at a magnificent writing […]

Author Shannon Hale recently learned that some boys weren’t welcome at one of her school readings. It wasn’t the first time. Now the kid lit community is asking, are boys being discouraged from reading girl books?

Y’all, I cannot even. This is the state of my excitement right now. You see, Shannon Hale is in my state, for the first time ever. And tonight she’s coming to my local bookstore. She’ll be promoting the third Princess Academy book, Princess Academy: the Forgotten Sisters, which isn’t even out until next week. I […]

Melissa Kantor and Ava Dellaira’s YA titles will have readers reaching for tissues while Shannon Hale and Lamar Giles’s new books offer heart-pumping rides. Check out the latest from Lauren Oliver, Beth Kephart, and other “hot” titles for teens.

Eoin Colfer and Gordon Korman lead the pack this fall with first books in new series. From magic to hypnotism and fantastical creatures to pirates, these novels selected by the editors at Junior Library Guild will have middle grade readers anticipating their next installments.

Allrighty then (remember when this phrase was a thing?). Time to whip out a Fusenews in this new format. Let’s crank her up and see what she can do! Let’s start with the me stuff. This happened while I was on vacation: The folks at the New York Times asked me to be a part […]

Monday, October 1, 2012,1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET It’s finally here—Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, sequel to the beloved Newbery-Honoree book, Princess Academy. Reunite with Miri and her friends as they share in the joys of friendship, the delight of young romance, and the fate of a fairy tale kingdom. Join Shannon Hale for a unique opportunity to celebrate with her during a live webcast from Brooklyn Friends School and a chance to ask her questions live! Sign up now—space is limited. We encourage you to set up an assembly so all of your kids, parents and teachers can watch. This archive is no longer available